Heart Ache
by Hamato Inya
Summary: Mikey comes down with a fatal virus. After his death the turtles have to keep others from taking their own... what will happen when Don finds something, or someone who reminds him of Mikey? PART ELEVEN UP!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT or anything related…. Wish I did though

"All right you guys I'm off to bed!" Michelangelo said yawning and stretching. "Have fun doing whatever you do."

Raphael rolled his eyes at his brother and Donatello and Leonardo merely wave. Splinter opened one eye from his position on the mat and nodded to his son. Mikey was kind of ticked that his brothers and his master still had to give him consent to go to sleep! Once he got in his bed he groaned and stretched out his still stiff arm. April had just let him take off the makeshift cast that was holding it in place ever since Raph broke it. Mikey grimaced as he remembered what had happened. They were just coming back from defeating the Shredder and Mikey had cracked a lame joke that seemed to make Raph loose it and he started punching and kicking at him. When Mikey held up his hands to say that he was sorry Raph kicked him and broke his arm. Ever since then he had noticed that none of the others ever let him enter a room with Raph in it. Mikey sighed and rubbed his chest. About two days after his arm was splinted his chest started to hurt. So far he had only told Donnie who had taken some tests and was still looking at them. He had even forgotten about the devise to turn them invisible. Mikey felt very loved.

"Hey, Mikey?" speak of the devil Donnie was just outside his door.

"What? I'm trying to sleep here!" Michelangelo sighed rolling his eyes and sitting up in bed.

"Can I come in?" Donnie's voice was different somehow. Almost scared and tightened like he had been crying.

"Yah," Mikey said and Donnie opened the door and quickly came in. "What's wrong Don? You look awful."

"Thanks Mike," Donatello wiped his eyes a sure sign that he had been crying and Mikey noticed that his wrist hung at an odd angle. "Luv'ya too bro."

"Donnie what happened to your wrist?" Mikey asked getting up and going into his and Don's bathroom. For his own safety he and Don now shared a room instead of him and Raph.

"Got into a fight with Raph over who gets to use the Turtle Car to go topside," Mikey sighed and splinted Donatello's wrist.

"What's up with Raph? He broke my arm and then your wrist," Mikey finished bandaging Don's wrist and fell on his own bed his hand on his aching chest.

"Hormones?" Donnie said and a loud thump was heard with Raphael's I heard that following. Don decided to whisper to his younger brother. "Mikey, you know how your chest has been hurting? Can you come to the lab? I want to take an X-ray of your heart."

Mikey groaned into his pillow and got up. "As long as we don't have to face Raph in puberty," Raphael's growl was heard as a warning. "To the bat cave!" Mikey said pushing the button on their desk that opened up a wall that they quickly slipped into.

Donatello was already firing up the x-ray machine when Mikey got there and gestured for him to lie down.

"Ok bro," Don was just making some adjustments to his machine when a knock was heard. Don looked at Mikey who shrugged when Leonardo's voice was heard.

"Hey Don? You in there? Ever since yours and Mikey's comment about puberty Raph wants to kill me," Leo opened the door and hurriedly came in as a stray remote hit the door. "What are you doing to Mikey?" Leo asked noting that the youngest was sitting on a machine with a pained look.

"X-ray," Don shrugged and looked at Mikey who lied back down. "Mikey's been having this horrible pain in his chest since Raph broke his arm and I've been researching it for a while and I want to take an x-ray of Mike's chest cavity."

"What? Why did he only tell you?" Leo asked rubbing his head.

"Because someone would have made me sit out and would worry about me and I would have to meditate because someone blabbed to old man Splinter," Mikey said smiling at Leo. Leonardo noticed that Mikey wasn't laughing and that the smile was full of pain and let Don continue with his tests.

Leo and Mikey had fallen asleep when Donatello finally finished the calculations. Don frowned and shook Leo awake and motioned for him to follow him to the screen.

"Take a look at Mikey's heart," Leo leaned over Don's shoulder to take a better look at the screen and turned to Don.

"You know I'm color blind right?" Leo glared at the third youngest grinning turtle.

"Of course I will explain!" Don grinned as Leo rolled his eyes. "All right… where to start… ok the red area is an area well insolated… that means a lot of protection around it. Now almost all of the heart is insolated except this part which is black. Well this whole half that's black… now the black means that there is a virus in his heart… and its killing it," by the time Don had finished his speech his face was grim. "The only way of preventing this is a heart transplant… but we cant do that."

"Wait," Leo said as he watched Mikey's suddenly frail looking form. "You mean that Mikey's gonna die?"

Donatello rubbed his eyes a sure sign that he was going to cry.

"I don't know Leo… but this is the closest we've ever came to someone… well leaving us," Don couldn't stop the single tear going down his cheek.

"He's our brother and he'll never leave us!" Leo hugged Don and stared grimly at his youngest brother's sleeping form. "I promise," he whispered more to reassure himself then his brother.

Ok how did you like it? This fic was inspired by brother's bond oooh! I forget the title! Oh well… plz review!


	2. Part One

AN: this got messed up in the transfer so sorry! i dont know how to fix it 

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT and that's that!

AN: I know nothing of color-coded heart pictures! Mwahaha! Oh well it's a story so deal with it.

Mikey stared at the television longingly from where he lay in his bed. It had been a week since Don's diagnosis and since then sensei had been commanding that Mikey stayed in bed. Don had told Splinter but no one had told Raph. They were wondering what he would say to Mikey. Probably something along the lines of, Your just a liability! No one needs you! Yeah, well, your better off not coming on the missions! All that Leo had told him was that when Raph kicked him into the wall he had made Mikey hurt his leg. Mikey gasped and put a hand on his chest when pain shot through it. The sudden bursts of pain were getting to be regular. However, they had been more frequent lately and more painful. Mikey grimaced and got up out of his bed and made his way quietly to the open door. He looked both ways and found the coast clear and he grinned and jumped off the balcony to the second floor and their rooms and landed gracefully on the floor and ran to the kitchen. Although he dearly wanted to watch TV he couldn't since Don, Leo, and sensei would get mad at him. Once in the kitchen he ignored the bursts of pain and looked for something to eat. After searching the cupboards he found a bag of cookies and walked out humming quietly to himself. He turned the corner to the stairs and found his red banded brother there blocking the way with a smirk plastered on his face. Michelangelo chocked and when he coughed the pain doubled.

"Your leg looked ok to me when ya jumped," Raph said noticing the pained look on Mikey's face. "What's really wrong with ya?"

"Raph? Who are you talking to?" Don said leaning out of his downstairs lab while pushing up the mask he was wearing and looked worriedly at Mikey when he saw him. "Mike? What are you doing out of bed?"

Mikey sat down hard and bit into another cookie.

"Eating bro! Some hurt people need to eat ya know. All you guys have been doing is starvin' me!" Mikey gave Don a weak glare and tried to make the pain that coursed through his body go away.

"Hurt my foot!" Raph muttered fingering his sais and wondering how he could get his younger brothers to fess up on why Mikey had been missing out on training and going topside. Suddenly he grinned and pulled out his sais. "How bout this Mikey? You fight me and no matter who wins you get to get back up to your room."

Mikey didn't care to hide his grimace of pain as he pulled out his nunchakus. Maybe if Raph saw him in pain he would go easy on him. No such luck. After a couple of blocked punches and kicks Mikey's vision began to swim and he fell back a couple steps. Mikey could here Raphael's what the as he slipped into darkness the pain finally becoming too much.

As Mikey slowly came back into consciousness he found Splinter's hand was on his head moving every now and then nervously. Mikey opened his eyes up as much as they would go and rolled his eyes at Leo who smiled at him. He groaned as pain shot through his chest and gasped a little as his breathing became painful as well.

"Michelangelo, my son, do not move that much. It will only make the pain much worse," Splinter said stroking his son's forehead.

"Will someone please tell me what's wrong with Mikey?" Raphael's gruff voice sounded from the doorway.

"Its his heart Raph," Don said quietly from his computer. "Ever since you broke his arm its been bothering him. I don't think that it had anything to do with that though."

"Shredder," Leo muttered to himself and then looked at Mikey's slightly trembling form on the bed. "He shot Mike and then left letting us go remember?"

"Yo, Mikey look out!" Don yelled as the turtle in question stopped to look at a picture. At the last minute he dodged a ninja spike and came over to the others.

_"That's weird. I knew that the Shredder was a shredder but a picture of shredded meat? That's weird," Mikey shook his head and ran faster to keep up with his elder brothers. "I mean its just so, whoa!" Mikey stopped talking and stared in amazement at the tunnels in front of them. They were at least three times larger than the ones under NYC._

_"All right, Raph take Mikey and I'll take Don," Leo said walking down the left tunnel. "Holler if you need us."_

_"All right Mikey lets go," Raph muttered not to pleased with babysitting his youngest brother._

_Mikey nodded knowing not to crack one of his lame jokes at this point in the game._

_"Hey," Mikey said after a couple minutes in silence. "Is it just me or is this to easy?"_

_Raph was about to snap at Mikey when he heard a sharp snap and saw Mikey's pained expression as he went down clutching his leg._

_"Mike!" he yelled and quickly followed the foot ninja that had shot Mikey. "Get Don and Leo!"_

_"Raph!" Mikey called and then fumbled for the shell cell. "Leo! Don! Someone answer," Mikey had never felt this scared. There was a weird pain in his leg and not matter what the blood flowed freely._

_"Mikey?" Don's voice sounded worried on the other side. "What's wrong did you find the foot?"_

_"No they found us," Mikey said unable to mask his relief. "One of them had a gun and…"_

_"Mikey? Did you or Raph get shot?" Leo interrupted this time and Mikey rolled his eyes._

_"I took a shot in the leg. Nothing big though. I just can't get the blood flow to stop," Mikey sighed in relief as he heard Raph running back to him._

_"We'll be over in a second. Hang on," Don switched off his shell cell and followed Leo back down their tunnel._

_"Mikey!" Raph was doing very well in keeping the concern not showing but Mikey could read his brothers like a book._

_"Hey Raph did ya catch that guy?" Mikey asked as Raphael picked his younger brother up._

_"Yah he was easy enough to take down. Geez Mikey you're light. You need to eat more," however Michelangelo had passed out in his brother's arms his head tucked in and resting on his brother's chest, just as he had ten years before._

_It was two days after that that Raphael broke Mikey's arm and the period of confusion began._

Raphael grimly jumped from building to building before landing in Central Park. He walked over to the big oak in the center of the park and jumped up the branches to the spot that the four brothers had climbed to ten years before. He sat down on the sturdy branch and stared at the carving in front of him. All four had carved their names and ages into the soft bark.

Mikey 4 Leo 6 

_Donnie 5_

_Raph 5_

_We are those who live in dark,_

_Yet we yearn for light._

_Those who exist in shadow,_

_Yet those who fear the day._

_We have chosen our path._

_Our way is ninja._

Raphael looked at the dashes on the branch above him. It counted the times near death.

Leo 1 

_Raph 3_

_Donnie 0_

_Mikey 6_

Raphael stood up and grimly added a notch to Mikey's count and then scratched his name out. Wordlessly he slipped into the night to the pier. Mikey's favorite place. He did not notice the shadow following him. He did not notice the mask bands flying in the breeze. He did not notice his concerned brother following him. His mind was set on what he was going to do.

AN: I like this chapter a lot better! Yay! One person liked my story! I now know where this story is headed and it will be roughly 20 chapters! I actually have a goal! Yes! This will be the story I finish!


	3. Part Two

An: sorry my comp is being messed up and all the formatting things are on the blink so deal with me. Oh and I don't really know what Raph's weapons are called when you want to name a single one… a little help?

Raphael stood at the docks and watched the moon and the stars reflecting on its surface. It was a perfect night. Mikey would have loved this. Raphael's face turned grim as he remembered what he came here to do.

_"Hey Raph?" Mikey asked walking into the room and shuffling his four-year-old feet._

_"What do you want Mikey?" the tough five year old said hanging upside down off his bed reading a comic book._

_"I just wanted you to know that I'm really glad you're my brother. And thanks for looking out for me," Mikey said with a bow before running off somewhere._

Raphael's hand stopped right above his sai before going limp as tears coursed freely down his face.

"Raph? Who is that?" Mikey pointed to the picture on Raph's book. 

"A human," Raph said rolling his eyes. "His name was Edgar Alan Poe. He wrote great stories."

_Michelangelo's young face lit up._

_"Someday! When I get older. I wanna be just like E'gar Allen Poe and be a writer!" Mikey giggled and rolled back on his heels._

Raph grit his teeth and grabbed one sai and flipped it around expertly.

"Sorry Mikey but you may never get your chance," he muttered wiping his eyes.

"C'mon Mikey," Raph said biting his lip and blinking back tears as he shook his younger brother's limp form. "It was only a joke! All I did was joke like you do Mikey. C'mon wake up!"

Mikey groaned and opened up an eye and smiled at Raphael's teary face.

"I did it," he said smiling. "I went up and got a flower," he smiled and opened his hand weakly. "You said that I could be as brave as you if I got a flower and spent the night in the darkest tunnel. I did it. I can be like you see?"

"Right Mikey," Raphael cursed himself for being that stupid. "You're braver than me. Now lets get you back home," Raph picked up his brothers frail form and let his head rest against his chest the flower still clutched tight in the little one's hand and started walking back home.

Raphael looked at his sai and pressed it to his neck.

"C'ya Mikey," he whispered and pressed the sai harder against his neck and gulped.

Suddenly there was a flash of blue and Raph's sai was kicked out of his hand and into the bay. Raphael sunk to all fours and grimaced letting his tears fall freely.

"Raph," Leonardo hissed kneeling down and placing a hand on his shell.

"Leave me alone Leo! You don't understand," Raph choked fumbling for his other sai only to have it taken again by the leader of the four. "I have to do this. For Mikey. It was a promise to him. After the lotus incident. I promised that if he died I would die to."

Leo rubbed his brother's shell and Raph glared and him and Leo took that moment to pull him into a protective hug. All Raph did was cry and let his elder brother console him. Leo had followed Raph from the lair remembering the whispered conversation he had heard ten years ago.

"Mikey?" Raph asked gripping his younger brother's cold frail hand. "This is all my fault Mike. If… when you get better I promise to be a better role model. I promise Mikey that I will never let you die. I swear on my life."

Leo backed slowly from the doorway and walked into his own room. He knew that Raphael had meant every word of what he said. And it worried the eldest brother.

He had seen him stop by Mikey's tree and make some changes to their life count and had followed him to the dock. However Leo was shocked when he saw Raph hold a sai up to his neck and whispered C'ya Mikey. He didn't know what he was doing until he saw Raph's weapon splash in the water.

"Leo?" Raphael's voice was small and quiet. "You gonna tell Master Splinter and Donnie about this?"

Leo smiled and stood up before helping his brother up also.

"No, lets just keep this between eldest," Leo smiled and handed Raph back his sai and watched him tuck it in his belt. "That is if you don't try this stupid stunt again."

Leo watched as Raphael ground his teeth together.

"I wont bro," he whispered. "Mikey needs all of the help he can get to get better. I ain't gonna do that again."


	4. Part Three

AN: The Document Manager was offline when I wrote this… so I don't know how long until I update. Oh and this chapter is going to be short since I don't like doing that much on no boo hoo stuff

Donatello was shaking visibly. He knew that he was losing Mikey. The infected heart had spread the disease throughout his body. Just a couple of hours before Mikey complained that he couldn't move his legs. His lungs were affected too. He could hear them taking in labored breaths. Donnie could do nothing more for his sick brother. They needed a doctor's help. It had been very quiet lately. Leo and Raph had gone somewhere and sensei was meditating. It just wasn't the same without Mikey's jokes and the TV blaring at him. Don rubbed his temples and checked Mikey's vital signs as his younger brother struggled into wakefulness.

"Donnie?" Mikey's voice was hoarse and the rattling in his lungs was heard more.

"I'm right here Mike. Don't worry," Donatello said gripping his younger brother's hand tightly.

Mikey winced and coughed.

"Hurts," Michelangelo grunted. "It feels like an elephant is on me. I can barely breathe."

"Hang in there Mikey," Donnie whispered grasping his hand tightly. "Your gonna be ok. I called Leo and asked him to come back… You're gonna be all right."

Mikey grinned at his brother.

"Donnie, you and I both know that I ain't gonna make it so why bother?" Mikey groaned as another burst of pain shot through his whole body. "Where are Leo and Raph?"

"Dunno," Donnie said scared that his ailing brother was talking like that. "Mikey, Raph slipped out of the lair and I think that Leo followed him. Sensei is meditating in the next room. Do you want me to get him?"

"No," Mikey's eyes were pleading. "I don't want to die alone. I'm scared Donnie."

Donatello put a hand on Mikey's forehead and found it burning with the fever the virus had caused. Donnie absently ran a hand across Mikey's mask.

"I won't leave," Don whispered as Mikey started to gasp for air. "No matter what I won't leave you alone, bro."

Mikey took a rattling breath and opened one eye and smiled weakly at his brother.

"Promise me something Don," Mikey gasped. "Go on my computer and there are plans. Use them. Take on my sacred duty," Mikey grinned as he got a slight smile out of Donatello. "Tell Leo that the amulet is in a secret compartment in my left hand drawer," Mikey gasped and his breathing became shallower as Donnie grasped his hand.

"What about Master Splinter and Raph?" Don would've done anything to keep his little brother there but he knew his science expertise couldn't help him now.

"Old man Splinter?" Mikey smiled and chuckled slightly. "Tell him I'm sorry I never made any Japanese dishes."

"And Raph?" Don whispered rubbing Mikey's suddenly cold hand. "What about Raph?"

"Raph," Mikey's eyes felt like they were lead. "In the lower right hand drawer. He gets everything in there," Mikey took a shuddering breath and smiled one last time at his brother. "Don't let Leo and Raph do anything stupid. Watch Raphael," Mikey closed his eyes and took his last breath just as the door to the lair flew open.

"Raph?" Mikey asked sitting up in his bed. "If I ever die what would you do?"

_"What?" Raphael blinked._

_"If I ever die before you, what would you do?" Mikey asked staring into Raph's eyes._

_"Ya won't Mikey," Raph said matter-o-factly. "I won't letcha."_

_Mikey smiled and leaned back in his bed._

_"Thanks Raph. But, if I do die before you I want you to be there, promise?"_

_"I promise Mike."_

Raphael stared at the still form of his brother and Leonardo hugged a crying Donatello and Master Splinter put his paw on Leonardo's shoulder.

"If I died and you weren't there Raph," 

Raph went over and put a hand on his dead brother's forehead as he felt tears coming to his eyes.

"I would never leave you," 

Raphael put Mikey's still hand on his chest and opened his own hand.

"I would come back to you no matter what," 

Raphael placed the cherry blossom in his brother's hand and closed it around the flower and turned away.

"So you had better wait for me Raph," Mikey had smiled. 

_"I will Mikey I will," Raph hugged his brother quickly._

"Count on it," Raphael muttered as he let the tears fall freely creating small rivers down his face. "I will always wait for ya Mikey. I'll never make this mistake again."


	5. Part Four

AN: hee hee that was an empty threat! I would never abandon this fic! I love it too much! Thank you all for reviewing… sorry if you don't like this chapter… oh and leo oneal don't worry! And trust me all will work out… I hope…

_"Hey Leo?" Mikey said jumping on the eldest brother's sleeping form. "There's nothing to do. Raph is topside with sensei and Don only yells at me if I go in his lab."_

_"Read a book Mike," Leo groaned turning over. It had only been a week since Mikey had recovered from his terrible case of hypothermia he had gotten after Raph's dare. "Or play a game."_

_"'Nly games we 'aver Chutes 'n Laddas," Mikey still couldn't speak right but that was mainly due to his weakened condition and his four year old vocabulary. "An' Raph tol' me not ta touch his books."_

_"Then amuse yourself somehow," Leo sighed and shut his eyes tightly._

_"Fine," Mikey was crestfallen and when he walked out of the room Leo could hear him mutter, "Even Raph is a better brother'n you."_

Leo forced that memory out of his head and looked at the picture that had been taken two days before Mikey had been shot. They were about to take a nice picture in the park at night when Mikey leaned over to Raph and pulled his mouth into a smile. Unable to get Mikey he did the same to Don and then Don to Leo and Leo to Mikey. Of course April and Casey were pretty much on the ground laughing when the timer went off. All of the turtles had that picture in their rooms. And now none of them shared a room.

Leo smiled and shook his head as he heard Raph trip down the stairs. Deciding that it might lighten everyone's spirits he opened the door in time to see Raph fall face first into a pie. He caught sight of Master Splinter smiling for the first time in a week. Leo shook his head at Don who had stuck his head out the window to see one of Mikey's old plans work.

"Mikey!" Raph yelled and winced as everyone's once smiling faces fell. "Sorry, it's just a habit ya know?"

Don sniffed the air as smoke came out of the kitchen and a panicked expression overtook his face.

"AAAAHHHH!" he had run back into the kitchen and everyone heard the splash of cold water. "Aw," Don came out of the kitchen and threw down the chef's hat he was wearing.

"What now Donnie?" Leonardo asked coming down the stairs as Raphael appeared wiping his face with a wet dishrag. "Burn the salad?"

Don glared at him and Leo thought he saw tears in his eyes.

"No," He sighed, got up, and walked towards his room. "I burnt the pasta," he muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Leo and Raph exchanged grins and Master Splinter smiled before returning to his meditation.

"Raph can I talk to you for a second?" Leo asked his grin faltering.

"Sure," Raph shrugged and sighed as he followed his elder brother into the practice room.

"Raph," Leo sighed and sat down heavily on the mat. "It's been three weeks, right?"

Raph nodded and sat down his eyes tracing the room and fell upon Mikey's nunchakus. They now had a fine layer of dust on them. Raphael made a face and got up to dust them off.

"It's been three weeks with no laughter… well not as much," Leo whispered as he watched Raph carefully place their late little brother's nunchakus back on the weapons holder. "Have you noticed how Donnie's become so much like Mikey? It's breaking my heart to see him like that."

"We all need someone to keep us laughing. Although I agree. Sometimes I just with everything was normal and we could grieve. But we can't bro. The foot has been so active lately they barely give us time to do anything," Raph said fingering his sais as he stared at Mikey's nunchakus. "Mike said that if I didn't let him die in my arms then he would come back. He said he would never leave if I wasn't with him till the end."

"Are you suggesting that there might be reincarnation involved?" Leo hissed as he heard Master Splinter near the practice room.

"Not might bro," Raphael said as soon as Master Splinter had moved on. "I can feel in my shell that Mikey's out there."

Leo sighed and rubbed his temples as Raph eyed him carefully. The eldest brother had been quiet lately and getting him to talk this much was a miracle. One that couldn't last long. And indeed at that moment Splinter chose to come into the dojo.

"My sons, there has been another foot sighting," Splinter said looking at the eldest two worriedly. At first the old rat had thought that Raphael would be the one to do something stupid after Michelangelo's death but now he was more worried about the leader of the three remaining turtles.

"The foot again," Raph growled. At first it had been a relief to let some of his anger and his depression out on them, but now there were just to many attacks. Raph had noticed Donnie slipping up and making some wrong calculations. But what worried him was Leo. Leonardo had been hit the hardest with Mikey's death. Don was hiding his grief at losing his only younger brother by acting more like Mikey every day.

"The usual routine," Leo said sighing as he got up. "Go there, fight them, and then disappear as soon as the police show," Leo had usually been the one to like beating the foot as his competitive nature made it enjoyable. But now, without Mikey's usual joke, he seemed to hate it. Maybe it was the lack of humor and one less person to watch your back, or perhaps it was because the foot had, as Donatello presumed, caused Michelangelo's untimely death.

Raphael stood and looked grimly down at the jewelry store that the foot had penetrated. It seemed that the ninja were just luring out the brothers in order to get the rest of them. He looked to the rooftop to his left and saw the shine of the moonlight on steel and twirled his sais.

"Lets go," all three brothers said through clenched teeth as they jumped down and entered the building each entering their own way. Donatello via roof, Leonardo through the fire escape and Raph through the unlocked front door. Raphael smiled to himself as he found the door unlocked and strolled in. He was the distraction so that the other two could pick off ones at the back silently and unnoticed. Raph didn't notice the pain of the attacks of the overwhelming odds anymore. It just relieved him of the pain he felt in his heart.

In a couple of minutes Donnie dropped down from the upper balcony after scanning the building and went over to his brothers.

"All's clear. The foot are either gone or unconscious," he said helping Leo support a very weak Raph.

"Just me or does it keep getting harder?" Raph directed his question at Leo but, as usual, got an answer from Donatello.

"It does keep getting harder. As much as we all hate to admit it we're slowing down. Continuous attacks have finally taken their toll," Don sighed as they heard sirens.

"It would have been a lot easier with Mikey there," Raph muttered so that his brother's could barely hear him. He noticed Leo had tensed his muscles.

"C'mon," Don said jumping with his two brothers. "Lets go home."

And the ninjas slipped into the shadows, followed unknown by a slightly darker shadow.

Raphael limped slowly to his room and sat on the bed. He groaned as his body burned with pain. He looked around his room and came across the picture with the brothers at central park. The same one that was in all of their rooms. His gaze then fell on something in the upper right hand corner of his desk. Raph groaned and got up before grabbing a watering can and emptying it on the thing that Mikey had left him. Raph smiled slightly as the scent of cherry blossoms filled the air.

A young boy looked around for the beings he had been following. They knew how to fight. He had fought those freaks in black before and knew that somehow his fighting style was close to theirs. He sighed and shook his light brown hair out of his red orange eyes. He tightened the orange bandana that had come loose around his head in his attempt to follow those mysterious ninja. Somehow he knew that they could help him. A twig snapped behind him and he whirled around to see a cat running into the bushes. Sighing and smiling at himself for jumping he turned around and came face to face with twin katanas and a figure in black. He gulped as his orange bandana moved out of place again and he smiled weakly at the other twenty figures that had dropped out of the branches of a tall oak tree.


	6. Part Five

AN: Tankies again for the reviews… don't really have anything to say… ok I lied! I just find it so funny that Raph acts all tough and should be a skateboard rider but in the theme song for the newest cartoon he is on roller blades… I just find it funny. Oh and the next couple of chapters will be a little more cheery but it will get sadder…

Donatello sighed as he made his way slowly through the sewers. They had just gotten back from defeating the foot and the now youngest turtle didn't feel like cheering anyone up. So Don had decided to go to the surface. After reaching his destination Donnie waited until he was positive that the coast was clear and lifted the cover to feel a rush of cold wind on his face. He hauled himself into central park and rolled into the shadows to take a look around. No one was near. The turtle went over to the manhole and recovered it before making his way through the trees to the tallest oak.

Donnie frowned as he heard sounds coming from the area around the oak and saw, once he perched himself on one of the lower branches, that some members of the foot were beating on some poor kid pretty badly. Don grit his teeth and jumped down his bo staff flying everywhere at once making the foot members draw back and decide to leave. Satisfied that they were gone the young turtle went over to the unconscious human on the ground and checked his vital signs.

Raising his eye ridges the genius turtle traced the boy's features before letting his hand rest shakily on his orange bandana tied loosely around his forehead his brown shaggy hair now falling over it encrusted with blood. What was it that Raph and Leo had been talking about in the dojo? Reincarnation? Don smiled and shook his head. No, couldn't be. But then again. The boy did look like one of Mikey's drawings he had shown his brother. It was how he pictured himself to look as a human. And the picture had shown a boy about 5' 11" with light brown hair, a muscular build not bulky but sturdy, his orange bandana around his forehead, a homely face with slight dimples and some freckles. The exact image of the boy in front of him.

Don picked up the boy and carried him carefully back to the manhole he had came out of. Something had told him that this boy was all right to keep in the lair for a while. At least until they had nursed him back to health and learned his name and why he looked exactly like Mikey's picture. Donatello noticed how the boys head rested on his chest slightly curved in just like Raph had brought Mikey back hurt twice. Perhaps there is such a thing as reincarnation… perhaps… god was being forgiving.

Don opened the door to the lair and looked around. Leo and Master Splinter were off meditating somewhere and the occasional shouts and thumps coming from the dojo had Raph written all over it. Knowing it would be about an hour before his brothers and their sensei would stop what they were doing Donatello slipped into his room and placed the poor human down on his bed. As Don slipped back out and grabbed bandages and disinfectant from the infirmary he saw Raph beating the stuffing trying stubbornly to master Mikey's chucks.

Shaking his head Don walked back to his room and bandaged the unconscious figure on the bed before looking at him more thoroughly. Indeed the boy seemed around 5' 11" and the super-smart turtle estimated him to be around 112 pounds and about 14 years old. He was tempted to say that he was around his late teens because of his build but he had a face of a child. Since the human had lost a lot of blood the freckles sprinkled across his cheeks stood out more and even though his mouth was pulled in a slight frown the dimples still showed.

Donatello touched the orange bandana around the teen's forehead and wondered once again who he was. Suddenly Don remembered Mikey's picture that he had drawn not two months ago and grabbed it and frowned thoughtfully before a smile started tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The picture showed a boy with shaggy brown hair and red orange eyes standing in a relaxed fighting stance. He was wearing an orange shirt with a black dragon on it and baggy black jeans held up by a black leather belt with a 'M' on it. The boy was wielding nunchakus with a confident slightly silly grin plastered on his face his freckles and dimples standing out slightly in his tanned face. The orange bandana around his head was half covered in the light brown hair. Don looked again at the sleeping figure and smiled fondly. The picture matched the human perfectly.

A few hours later the boy on Donatello's bed stirred slightly and opened his eyes a fraction taking in the room littered with gears and broken appliances. He groaned as a shock of pain was sent up his shin.

"Awake?" a voice whispered slightly outside the boy's blurry range of vision. Was it just him or did a blob of green move?

"Barely," he heard himself say and couldn't force down his regular smile.

"Do you have a name?" the voice asked again as the boy blinked trying to get a wider range of clear vision.

"Michael, Mike or Mikey, Smith," he blinked at the still slightly blurry shape as it took a step towards him. "And who, and what, are you?"

"Donatello, Don or Donnie," Don sighed as he stepped into the focused range of Michael's vision as the boy looked at him in amazement.

"What are you?" Michael was more shocked and curious than scared and disgusted and it showed on his face.

"A teenage mutant ninja turtle," Don smiled at him. "And welcome to our home?"

"Our?" Michael raised an eyebrow at the turtle in front of him. "How many of you are there?"

Don's grin wavered as his eyes traveled to the door as he heard the TV turn on.

"My thre… two brothers and our sensei live here," Don sighed as he heard that indeed Raph had finished training and was watching TV. "Our sensei is a mutated rat and my brothers are like me."

"So where are we?" Mike said managing to sit up and study his surroundings better. "And why am I here?"

"I found you getting beat up in Central Park and brought you down here," noticing his perplexed look Don explained. "Down here as in the sewers of NYC."

"No wonder it smells so wonderful!" Mikey said smiling and taking an exaggerated breath of air. "Ah the smell of the sewers!"

Don couldn't help chuckling although he was saddened at hearing his little brother's famous saying. It was then that Don's eyes fell on the clock and he groaned as Raph's voice sounded.

"Donnie!" Raph had been flipping through the channels for around ten minutes. "Its almost 8:30 and no dinner?"

Don sighed and sat down heavily wondering what he would do with Michael and the others.

"I can stay quiet here," Mike finally spoke up and lay back down. "Hopefully your sensei will not sense my presence."

That statement just made Don groan again. Master Splinter! Of course he would sense him! But then again, sensei hadn't been himself lately. Lately being since Mikey's unfair death. Don glanced at the human boy and smiled when he saw that Michael had already fallen asleep. Getting up and walking to the door Don started thinking of all the ways to introduce Michael.

"Donatello is there something wrong my son?" Splinter's tired voice asked halfway through a slightly crispy dinner. "You have been quiet for some time now."

"I am all right sensei," Don said slightly on autopilot. In fact he was just thinking about Michael in his room and the fact that Master Splinter had not sensed him.

"Sure," Raph said rolling his eyes as Leo smiled slightly.

"My son, there _is_ something bothering you. Would you like to talk about it?" Splinter rested his paw on Donatello's shell.

Don looked up at his sensei for a moment allowing himself to come back to reality.

"I guess I'm just thinking about Mikey," he said in a small voice not meeting anyone's eyes.

"We all are," Leonardo whispered staring into his coffee mug. "No matter what we always will be," Leo blinked back welling tears as Raph put a hand on his shoulder.

Don sighed and got up before grabbing a slice of pizza and heading back to his lab. He was worried about Leo. He had been Don's best friend all his life and now the only person that he would talk to is Raph. And Donnie noticed that Leo seemed to be avoiding both him and Master Splinter. He opened the door to his room and sighed. A slight rattling snapped him out of his ravine and he saw that Michael was out of his bed and was in the corner of his lab wrestling with a bunch of wires trying to get one out. Don couldn't help but grin as he watched the young boy struggle.

"Need help?" he finally said after a couple minutes. "Just tug the wire and it will come out.

The boy did so and the wire slipped out easily and he glared at Don before noticing the pizza slice on a plate and he immediately adopted puppy dog eyes that rivaled Mikey's.

"Pizza?" he said looking at Don sadly as his stomach growled. "I mean I haven't eaten in a while!"

Don grinned and tossed the pizza plate over to him and then grimaced when he forgot that he wasn't a ninja but gasped when he caught the plate and kept it spinning on one finger as he grinned at the surprised turtle.

"I know martial arts," he explained simply. "I don't really know what form or how I know it," Don noticed that Mike's eyes had just grown sad.

"How was your life before you came here?" Don asked sitting next to the boy on the floor.

"I really don't know," the boy thought for a moment while chewing his pizza slowly. "All I remember is waking up a couple of weeks ago in an alley. After that a gang attacked me and I easily beat them. I've been wandering around Central Park ever since," Mike sighed and then smiled at Don. "Guess I'm lucky that you were there when those guys jumped me!"

Don grinned and then tensed as the door handle turned behind them and spun around to meet Raph's surprised face staring at the boy who was staring back at him with bewildered orange eyes.

"The hell?"


	7. Part Six

AN: I really wanted to have the turtles mourn Mikey's death more… but I can't write like that. In case you were wondering, Raph acts the tough guy to hide his grief while Don acts like Mikey. Master Splinter is taking Mikey's death pretty badly and is more exhausted than usual and Leo is just depressed.

Don quickly pulled his gaping brother in and closed the door quickly behind him and looked at Raph worriedly wondering what he would do.

"Why is there a human in here?" Raph whispered mainly shocked that the boy looked so much like Mike.

"He was getting beat up by the foot," Don said his hands twitching in nervousness. "I brought him here, his name is…"

"Michael, Mike or Mikey," he said scoffing the rest of his pizza slice. "You are?"

"Raphael, Raph," Raph said folding his arms and looking skeptically at the boy. "Don, you should have left him."

"I would have but," Don looked at Raph who was now glaring at him. "He looks so much like him. Well the picture," Don pulled out the picture and showed it to Raph who looked from the picture to Michael his face paling. "And you were the one who said that he could be reincarnated."

Raph looked at the boy who had now stood up and was craning his neck to see the picture.

"'Snot him," Raph whispered. "If he was gonna come back he would've done so sooner."

"Not who?" Mike said his voice confused. "And what was that about reincarnation?"

"Nothing," Don said grinning and then looking at Raph who seemed to be a little weak. "Raph," Don put his hand on Raph's shell. "You were the one that I thought was gonna believe me."

"'Snot him Donnie!" Raph yelled and Don flinched and glanced at the door wondering if Leo or Master Splinter had heard. "You should know that there is no such thing as reincarnation!" with that Raph ran out of the lair into the sewers.

"What was that?" Mike asked quietly as Don shut the door in Leo's questioning face. "Who do you think I am?"

"We had a brother named Mikey, short for Michelangelo. He died three weeks ago from a heart disease. Raph had always assured us that Mike would come back like he promised. I guess that he's just confused and scared," Don sighed.

"Why do you think he's me? Or I'm him… or whatever?" Mike said eyeing Donnie skeptically.

Don sighed and handed him the picture and watched as his eyebrows raised and his eyes widened.

"That's me," he whispered tracing the paper. "Don, your brother drew this as a picture of him human… right?" he waited until he got Don's nod and then he paled and started to shake. "Cold… dark…" he whimpered and dropped to his knees and clutched his head. "Water... running… blossom…" he closed his eyes and leaned into Don who had come to see what was wrong. "Rats… Car… tree…. All night… alone… dark… all... alone… Raph…" with a final shudder he fell unconscious into Don's arms.

. . .

Raph sat alone on the rooftop twirling his sai. He frowned at the full moon reflecting on the bay and remembered his conversation with Master Splinter.

"Raphael," he had said two days after Mike had died. "I know how you feel… for I feel it as well… but in time you will understand why."

_"Why what?" Raph said emotionless. "Why the goddamn gods had to take Mike?"_

_"No," Splinter sighed and lit a candle. "Why you must go on. Why you cannot dwell on the past. If you and your brother's do not go topside and fight… innocent people will die, and I know that Michelangelo would not want that at all."_

_"I can't leave Mikey!" He choked shocked that his sensei would say that. "He said he would come back! He promised!"_

_"And you much let him go because of that," Splinter sighed again. "Holding on to Michelangelo may not let him ever rest in peace Raphael. You have to accept that he needs to pass on fully. And you must accept that he will always be in your heart."_

_"I can't!" Raph had shouted standing up before his master. "You don't understand I…"_

_Splinter cut him off by slapping him hard his frail body trembling._

_"Raphael it is for the best. Trust me on this my son," Splinter had sat down heavily._

_"Yes sensei," Raph had said before leaving. Since that talk any hope of Mikey coming back had left and he began to dread what would happen if he did._

Raph sighed and then a movement in the shadow below caught his eye and he saw a member of the foot clan threatening a girl who looked like… April! She didn't know yet. He grinned and jumped down behind the foot member and tapped him on the back. He jumped and turned around to meet Raphael's fist.

"Raph!" April said laughing in relief. "Oh, its good to see you. Where have you been?"

"Underground," Raph shrugged. It was nice to talk to someone who didn't know of his little brother's death. However, April could read him like a book.

"Something's wrong," she put her hands on her hips and blew hair out of her face. "Tell me or I'll put you on the news."

Raph made a face at her but he quickly became serious.

"Promise you won't flip or… well comfort me or anything 'kay?" Raph said warily.

"I swear on my house and all of my money I won't… now what is it?" April said impatiently.

"Sure you want to know?"

"Sure."

"Positive?"

"Raph!"

Raph loved pushing her buttons.

"All right all right… something… really bad happened," Raph said wanting to get her to the point of strangling him.

"What was it? Are you guys all ok?" April gasped out worriedly.

"No," Raphael whispered staring at the ground. "Mikey…"

"Mikey?" April's voice was high pitched. "Is he gonna be ok? Raph?"

"Ape," He looked at her and smiled sadly. "He got a heart disease… and three weeks ago… it killed him…"

"Oh my god… Raph if this is a joke its not funny," April said her voice small and quiet.

"No joke… I would never joke about my brother like this…" Raph could feel tears coming and he quickly wiped them away.

"He's dead?" she whispered. "Mikey? Gone?" the tears slowly and steadily flowed down her face.

"You should see Don," Raph whispered smiling. "He's taken over Mike's role as the jokester. Its actually the only thing keeping Leo from starving himself and me from killing Leo for slowly killing himself…"

"Leo?" April said taken aback. "I thought that if it would be anyone trying to kill themselves it would be you," she smiled at a now glaring Raph. "No offence."

"None taken," Raph growled at her before sighing and thinking again. "I actually tried to do it…"

April's eyebrows went up and she was quickly engrossed in his story instead of grieving more over Mikey… of course she missed him a lot. But she would now do anything to keep her mind off of it.

"I went out the night Mike died and tried to kill myself… Leo stopped me… by the time we got back Mike was gone… I had promised him I would be there when he died… but I wasn't… I was convinced that he would come back, but, Master Splinter said that I should let his spirit rest in peace… I didn't listen and he hit me… I don't want to know what he would do if I said that Mike was back," Raph rubbed hard at his eyes with the back of his hand again.

"Wait? You think Mikey is back?" April said not really believing him.

"NO!" he shouted loudly. "Its not Mikey! I let him go. He finally rested in peace. Its just some trick," Raphael had paled and was shaking. April placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him sadly.

"Show me who this trick person is Raph," April smiled again and Raph sighed and led the way to the sewer.

. . .

Don groaned inwardly as a knock was heard at his door and he glanced around for a place for a minute for a place for Mike to hide.

"Donatello. What was that screaming?" Splinter's voice sounded from outside the door followed by Leo's soft voice.

"It was something about Mikey sensei," Don grinned when Leo said that and knew that no matter what Leo would be a suck up.

"Donatello," Splinter's tone was demanding. "Open the door my son."

Don sighed and looked once more at the sleeping figure on his bed and made his way to the door thankful that no one could see the bed unless the stepped in.

"Sensei," Don bowed his head and kept his door half closed.

"What were you and Raph arguing about?" Splinter sighed and noticed that he was hiding something.

"Mikey," Don whispered trying to make his face and voice sad. "He was saying something and it got me ticked and I yelled back."

"You are not telling the truth Donatello," Splinter said forcing Don's head up by his chin.

"I am sensei," Don was defiant and plus he had been telling the truth… he and Raph had been fighting about Mikey.

"Donnie. He means your hiding something," Leo said quietly staring into my eyes meaningfully.

"Donatello," Splinter said carefully. "If I promise not to get mad at you could you show us what you are hiding?"

"Promise?" Don whispered pleadingly. "And you promise you won't get freaked?"

"Promise," both of them said as Don opened his door and allowed them to step in. Their breath caught as they saw the Michael.

"Its Mikey," Leo whispered the image of the drawing flashing through his mind. "Sensei… Raph was right… Mike's back."


	8. Part Seven

AN: Yah I updated…. And at about twelve last night…. So sorry for any mistakes last chapter!

Splinter sighed as he watched the figure on the bed in interest. He would have been remarkably angry with Donatello for bringing down a human boy to the lair and hiding him in his room but he was to surprised at the likeness to Michelangelo's drawing that was now sitting on Don's desk next to the bed. The boy's eyebrows were turned in and an unpleasant frown was plastered on his face as though he was thinking about something confusing. He sighed and places a paw on the boy's orange bandana. According to Donatello the boy, Michael, had said that he had just woken up two weeks ago with no memory and a surprising knowledge of the martial arts. Donatello had also said that the boy had red orange eyes. Splinter opened his eyes as the boy squirmed and whimpered a little before wrenching his eyes open.

"Are you feeling better?" Splinter asked keeping his voice soft as the boy watched him with wide eyes.

"You're a rat," he whispered sitting up. "You must be the other's sensei."

"I am," the wise rat was slightly surprised at how much Michael's voice resembled Michelangelo's. "You may call me Master Splinter or just Splinter my son."

"Is he awake?" a voice asked from the door and Michael frowned and looked over Splinter's shoulder to see the turtle in blue standing there awkwardly.

"Yes Leonardo," the rat smiled kindly as Leo walked in hesitantly. "Now Michael, this is the eldest of my three sons… Leonardo. The next eldest is Raphael who I suppose you have already met. Donatello is the youngest. How old are you my son?"

"Fourteen," he replied immediately. "Don't ask me how I know that or how I know my name… I guess it was the only thing I remembered."

"You fight?" Leo asked his eyes slightly brighter.

"Little," Mike smiled and managed to get a small grin out of Leo. "I think that its martial arts… not to sure."

"Why don't you have a sparring session?" Splinter suggested as Mike got out of his bed and took a few unsteady steps. "That is if both of you are up to it."

"Sure!" Mike chirped and ran out of the room and stopped at the steps. "Where's the dojo?"

Leo laughed and jumped over the balcony and waited until Mike ran down the stairs and then led the way to dojo as Splinter stared wide eyed at their retreating backs. Leonardo? Laugh? Splinter smiled and shook his head slightly believing in Michael being his youngest even more.

"You know if you can use a weapon?" Leo asked stopping his hand before his katanas.

Mike immediately went over to the rack and picked up two nunchakus and grinned at Leo.

"Maybe I won't stab myself if I use these," he twirled them experimentally and found he had a knack for it.

"Maybe," Leo's eyes were sad but he still had a grin on his face. "Ok I'll go easy on you so you can get the hang of it."

"No need!" Mike said his eyes glinting as he twirled his nunchakus expertly and circled with Leo. "I got the hang of these things already."

"Start!" Leo yelled and pushed off on one foot and brought his twin katanas in a downward sweep for Mike's shoulder. Mike yelped and jumped to the side and rapped Leo's shell lightly with one of the nunchakus before jumping back as Leo took another swipe at him. He jumped from one foot to another his adrenaline already up and his wide grin unwavering.

"No fair I wasn't ready!" he wined as Leo grinned surprised at his speed.

Leo laughed shortly as he ran forward and aimed a punch for Mike's head and blinked in surprise as he ducked and kicked out with one foot socking him in the chest and then crouching and spinning his leg around causing Leo to stumble and glare at Mike who was crouching and holding his nunchakus to the sides of his head and sticking his tongue out teasingly.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Leo got into a ready stance and waited for Mike to take the offence.

Mike jumped up and landed to the side of Leo and struck out with a nunchaku only to find its chain wrapped around Leo's katana and with an expert flick he flung it to the other side of the dojo and hit Mike's cheek with the flat of the blade.

"Leo one Mike two," he grinned at the human who was looking at him with a face that clearly read, no fair! "I'll allow you five seconds to get that nunchaku or get another weapon."

Mike pouted and then ran to pick up the nunchaku before narrowly blocking a swipe from Leo's sword and flipping backwards out of his range and then waited for him slipping his other nunchaku into his belt and holding one with both hands.

"Kya!" Leo shouted jump kicking Mike's nunchaku making him grip it with one hand and pull out the other one and he started to spin both of them again. Leo aimed a punch for Mike's side but feinted and snapped his leg out to catch him in the side but then found himself sailing past Mike as he squirmed out of the way and managed to get behind Leo and pushed him forward onto his chest and then placed a foot on his shell and held his arms up grinning.

"SCORE!" he yelled and then took his foot of Leo and danced around the room yelling and laughing.

"No fair!" Leo couldn't help chuckling at Mike but burst out laughing as Mike slipped on a bo and went crashing into the weapon rack a humorous expression of shock on his face.

Don looked up from fixing the TV in the main room and walked over to the dojo wondering what was going on and started laughing as he saw Mike disentangling himself from equipment while cursing and yelling at Leo and the weapons around him. Leo was on his knees choking with laughter as tears rolled down his face.

"What is going on my sons?" Splinter asked and immediately Leo and Don stopped laughing and stood up to attention as Mike pulled himself up out of the weapons and kicked a sai and then started jumping around holding his foot and swearing under his breath as Leo and Don collapsed laughing on each other. Splinter, to say the least, was shocked to see Leonardo once more laughing.

"Mike and I were fighting and then he tripped and fell into," Leo gasped between laughs, "the weapons rack and I couldn't help but laugh sensei… and then he kicked Raph sai and," Leo stopped and collapsed laughing.

Splinter sighed and glanced at Mike who was now blushing in shame but had a silly grin on his face. The old rat looked over his shoulder to see Raph and April staring at them expressions of disbelief and slight amusement on their faces.

"What's going on here? It seems to happy for Mikey to have only died three weeks ago," April said glaring at Leo and Don accusingly for she couldn't see Mike.

Instantly Leo stopped laughing and a cold expression fell upon him as he pushed past all of them and went to his room.

"Ape," Don wasn't smiling either now. "That was the first time Leo smiled let alone laughed."

"Sorry, I just don't know how you guys could be laughing now," April said her hands on her hips.

"To much grieving is bad for anyone," Splinter said tiredly. "Raphael, please see if Leonardo is all right."

Raph nodded and walked off to Leo's room as Don stepped out of the dojo and grinned lopsidedly at April.

"I'll take it Raph told you?" he assumed looking behind him to see Mike putting the weapons back on the rack.

"Yah and he also said that you think Mikey was reincarnated?" April said raising one eyebrow as Mike stepped out the dojo a slight grimace on his face as he exaggerated a limp.

"Where's Raph I need to kill him," he muttered putting his weight on one foot. "If not him then all the sais in the place will die!"

"Keep your filthy hands off my sais Mike!" Raph's voice sounded from Leo's room.

Mike pouted and stopped standing on one leg and glared at Don as he stifled a chuckle.

"This must be him," April whispered in shock at how much he was like Mikey.

"As everyone says," Mike said flashing April a wide grin and taking her hand and kissing it nobly. "Name's Mike I guess. Master Splinter's the only one who says Michael."

"April O'Neal," April said smiling at the young teen. "News reporter for channel 3."

"Nice to meet ya," Mike said grinning and then bowing slightly at Splinter. "Sorry if we disturbed you."

"It is all right Michael," Splinter said smiling. "It is good to have Leonardo laughing again even if it was just for a while."

"Its hard to believe that he hasn't laughed in a while by the way he _was _laughing," Mike said his grin not going away giving him a little boy cute look that April just had to smile at. "And plus why _do _you think that I am this Michelangelo?"

"You confirmed my suspicions last night right before you passed out. Do you remember what you said?" Don said stepping forward.

"Not really," Mike muttered and thought hard about it his grin long gone. "Wait. I do remember a picture… I was in the sewer or somewhere dark… it was cold and… wet… I had something in my hand," Mike shook his head and grinned apologetically. "That's it nothing else."

"Sensei," Don said turning to his master with an excited gleam in his eyes. "That's the time that Raph dared him to go get a cherry blossom and come back in the morning remember?"

"It could be something else Donatello," Splinter said quietly thinking.

"It was a cherry blossom," Mike muttered staring at the wall behind Splinter his eyes distant and a thoughtful look on his face. "I remember now, it was a cherry blossom… after I got that I was hit my a truck and… and I ripped my leg… I went down a storm drain… and… and… no it was a manhole…" he shook his head and shivered as his eyes lost that distant look and he swayed slightly on his feet. "Tired," he muttered his eyes half open.

"I'll take him to my room," Don said supporting his weight. "I do have Mikey's bed in there still."

Splinter watched his son take their guest to his room and looked back at April.

"Do you believe that it is Michelangelo?" Splinter asked.

"I do" April said slightly in shock. "Raph doesn't though, he's scared to."

"I know Miss O'Neal, after his talk with me he must think that," Splinter sighed as Raphael walked from Leonardo's room to his own across the lair. It would take sometime for Raphael to except that his brother had come back. Splinter rubbed his temples and turned back to his room. He had to meditate on this for a while.

April, feeling unwanted sighed and made her way back through the sewers to her and Casey's apartment.


	9. Part Eight

Disclaimer: I do _NOT _own any of the turtles or the other people in it! The idea was mine though

Leo opened the door to his room and checking to see that the cost was clear he slipped out of his room and went to the dojo. He was puzzled as he saw that there were candles lit and he cursed quietly and poked his head around the corner to see Mike leaning against a wall nunchakus on either side of him trying to calm his breathing.

"Goin' over forms?" Leo asked sitting next to the human.

"Mmmm," he said tiredly. "I was until my leg started hurting. I think I broke a scab or sommat."

Leo looked over and saw that indeed some blood had seeped through his pants leg however it seemed dried by now.

"You ok?" Leo asked quietly. "That looked like you lost quite a lot of blood."

"M'ok," he said looking over at Leo. "Could you tell me somethin?"

"Shoot," Leo said standing up and helping Mike up as well.

"Why are you so distant?" Mike asked all traces of joking long gone. "You always avoid others and Don said that you haven't smiled or laughed until today… well from three weeks ago till today."

Leo sighed and walked over to his twin katanas resting in their holders.

"Its mainly because of our brother, Michelangelo, see he died three weeks ago… and well… since then everything's gone wrong," Leo sighed and walked over to Mike again. "Raph and Don have already tried to commit suicide… and sometimes I think that I am the only one stopping them from doing anything stupid."

"And have you tried. You know doing yourself in?" Mike asked limping slightly as he went to put the nunchakus back and ran his fingers over Raph's sais.

"No," Leo whispered watching as Mike picked up a sai gingerly as though he was afraid to. "Its enough trying to keep Don and Raph from doing it… that and caring for sensei."

"What's Raph's deal?" Mike said flipping the sai trying to get the feel of it. "Was he always so temperamental?"

"Temperamental?" Leo said chuckling. "Mental, yes. However, Raph has always had a temper… and he… well I guess that the only thing keeping him from exploding on us was Mikey… Mike would always come in when things were getting rough between us and he would crack a joke that made Raph go after him," Leo sighed and smiled sadly. "I really don't want to think what would have happened if Mikey hadn't interfered all those times. Out of all of us Raph could never actually hurt Mikey."

"Mikey was the mediator?" Mike said grinning and putting the sai back before picking up a bo and spinning it. "And what about Donnie?"

"Don… well Don took over Mikey's role… I guess that he's just hiding his grief in another way then taking out all his anger by fighting. But… I keep a closer eye on Donnie now than Raph. In just a week I caught Don twice in the kitchen holding a sharp knife to his wrist. Raph has only tried once the day that Mikey died…" Leo slid down the wall and buried his head in his hands.

"And Mikey," Mike said picking up the nunchakus and tracing a finger along the neat carving in the handle. "What was he like?"

"A jokester," Leo smiled at Mike. "His most famous line was, 'Ah the New York air!' he would then take a huge breath and continue with a grin on his face, 'how I missed it!' And he kinda acted like you do."

"Another reason to think that I'm him?" Mike said dropping the nunchakus and staring at them frowning. "Let me guess, Leonardo. That's the only reason that I'm here right? Because I remind you of your brother?"

"No," Leo sighed and stood up and picked up the dropped nunchakus and placed them carefully on the rack. "You were beat up and we had to take you here… besides… you have nowhere to go."

"I could go back to the streets," Michael shrugged and then ran his fingers down one of Leo's spare katanas.

"You can leave if you want to," Leo said sighing and walking to the door of the dojo. "But, please stay… this is the happiest I've seen Don in a while and maybe Raph will open up to you."

"Not to mention you laughing Leo," Mike muttered but Leo was already gone.

. . .

Michael was bored out of his mind! Just that morning Donatello had informed him that the cable was out in the lair and then Splinter had had the three of them meditate for two hours… now they were doing katas in the living room and Mike was leaning on his elbows watching them. He forced down the temptation to shout as he had for the past four hours but it boiled over and he shouted out.

"Why is it so boring here!?" Splinter opened an eye and looked at Michael with a slight smile.

"Would you like to try a kata my son?" the kindly sensei asked as Mike jumped up and ran over to Leo. "Leonardo will be your instructor."

Don and Raph grinned at Leo who groaned at the prospect of teaching the hyper teen anything but bowed to his sensei and turned to see Mike trying to do the kata he had just been doing purely from just seeing it once.

"Do you really need teaching?" Leo folded his arms and watched as Mike nearly completed it.

"No Leo," Mike grinned. "That's why I… whoa!"

Mike tripped over his own foot and landed heavily on his but as Raph snickered.

"Here lets start easier," Leo said and led Mike through a routine of katas for another hour.

"You really like this doncha?" Mike panted after a particularly difficult one.

"Yes… practice makes perfect," Leo said dusting his hands off. "Raph! Don! I want to see your katas as neat as Mike's! Now!"

"Control freak," Raph muttered putting a Sport's Illustrated down and getting into ready position as Don sighed and stopped trying to reboot the cable.

An hour later the four of them had finished their katas and were starting sparring.

"All right my sons. It will be Raphael versus Michael if he chooses and Donatello versus Leonardo," Splinter said settling himself in the corner.

"All right," Leo said drawing one katana and placing it on the floor and spinning it as the four gathered in a circle around it. "Alright, whoever this points to get to choose to go first or last."

The sword stopped at Raph and he smirked and twirled his sais.

"We go now," Raph said as Mike sighed and grabbed his nunchakus.

"Joy," Mike muttered and got into a ready stance his nunchakus held loosely.

"Start!" Leo said dropping his arm as Raph jumped forward with a side sweep with his sai that was met with a nunchaku and a roundhouse kick.

Raph sweared as he blocked the kick and jumped to miss a nunchaku aimed at his head. He angrily lunged at Mike who dodged all of his punches, kicks, and sai thrusts.

Mike laughed and kicked out hitting his carapace hard sending him across the room.

"And Michael is the winner!" Leo said as Don high-fived Mike.

"Lucky shot," Raph muttered seating himself next to his sensei and watching the fight that Leonardo easily won.

"Lets go," Leo said crossing his katanas as Mike locked his nunchakus under his arms and smirked.

"Go!" Don yelled and the two teens launched themselves at the other. After a series of kicks and punched they flipped back and stood there panting a goofy smile on each of their faces. With a shout Leo jumped and caught Mike off guard and kicked him in the stomach making him double over and cough.

"Winner Leo," Leo said smiling but immediately looked worried when Mike didn't stop coughing. "Mike?"

Mike waved him off and stopped coughing and stood up and looked at his palm where he had been coughing into and fell back into Don's arms who looked at his hand with a horrified expression.

"Blood," Don whispered.

"Crap," Leo and Raph muttered and looked at each other.


	10. Part Nine

AN: hey, you know what the best thing for new writers and old ones is? It is the little button down at the bottom left hand corner. You know the review button… not that I'm complaining or anything I love you guys! Its just the more reviews the more updates!

Look who's finally updating!! I am! I am!! Heh, I lost so much stuff when my comp crashed I'm so sorry that I haven't updated!! It will take a while with school… and I am only a thirteen year old! I can't write twenty four seven.

Mike coughed lightly and sat up from the couch and winced. His lungs have been aching ever since he had first coughed up blood. He sighed and was instantly caught in another cough attack and was handed a paper towel by Donatello who was trying to fix the TV. He smiled and coughed into it and when he stopped it was soaked with blood and he groaned. It had been about three weeks since Leo kicked him and this started and he had barely gotten any rest since he was up coughing most of the time.

"Don?" he said in a hoarse voice that made the turtle wince. "I thought that you were a genius and yet it takes you two days to fix a short?" the sick teen said grinning as Don stuck his tongue out at him.

"Nope just a day and a half," Don said fusing two wires together and then getting up and stretching. "All right your royal majesty the TV's fixed," Don rolled his eyes as Mike turned on the TV with a silly grin on his face.

"Is that TV I spy?" Raph said jumping the couch as Mike yelped and pulled his legs out of the way.

"No its not! Its just the radio!" Mike said grinning.

"Really?" Raph said making a lazy swipe for the remote that was pulled out of his reach. "Give me the remote and no one gets hurt," Raph said trying to grab the remote.

"Never!" Mike said laughing as he and Raph struggled for the remote. Suddenly he stopped and doubled over coughing into his hand and searching for a towel with the other. Raph gave him the towel and put a hand on his back as Mike's now thin form trembled with exhaustion and pain.

"Sorry," Raph muttered actual concern on his face. Don then noticed with a smile that Raph was actually believing the truth that he had thrown aside since he had found the boy. He was beginning to understand that Mike was indeed Mikey's reincarnation.

"Its alright," Mike said after a while and grimaced as Don took the bloody towel from his weak, trembling hands.

"Do you need anything?" Leo said coming from the practice room after hearing their charge coughing. "Like water or something?"

"Pizza?" Mike said his eyes pleading. "Please?"

Leo looked at his other brothers and then grinned.

"Ok I'll get it as a treat…. But you can't do this every time!" Leo said grabbing his trench coat and fedora.

Mike leaned back on the couch and Don took the non-occupied seat as Raph sighed and grabbed the remote that was forgotten in the midst of Mike's coughing fit and flipped through the channels. The peace was not to last.

When Leo got home he immediately sensed that something wasn't right. He slipped into the lair to see that the TV screen was cracked and the wired inside crackling. Ignoring the feeling of dread that was overwhelming his senses he checked the living room carefully and saw signs of struggle and a few spots of blood. Satisfied no one was there he ran quietly to the dojo and stopped dead in his tracks. Lying on the floor were the bodies of Donatello and Splinter. He rushed over to his master and after making sure that he was not wounded rushed over to the bleeding form of Donatello.

"Don!" he called in a hushed whisper shaking his brother lightly. As soon as he got a groan out of him he lied him back down and rushed back into the main room straining his ears and senses for any sound or presence. He picked up the sound of hoarse breathing and jumped up to the second floor and stopped in his tracks as he saw the countless bodies of foot around a very exhausted and bloody Raphael. Leo rushed to him and checked his vitals before hearing a noise behind him and whirling around his katanas knocking the bo out of his brother's trembling hands.

"Raph," Don said and fell heavily to his knees untying his headband and tying it around a particularly deep wound. He then looked at Leo who was untying his own headband. "Leo… find Mike."

Leo handed his headband to Don and then stood up and stepped over the bodies of the foot and entered Raph's room he staggered backwards at the overwhelming smell of blood and death. He covered his snout and his sharp eyes roaming around the room. His eyes widened as he saw the figure he was looking for and he ran over to him.

"Mike," he held the boys still form to him shaking him slightly. "Mike… c'mon answer me… wake up!" there was a sound outside and soon Raph staggered in followed by Don who had a very worried face on.

"Mike!" Raph and Don collapsed next to them and Don checked his vitals.

"He's… unconscious to say the least," Don said his hand shaking and his pale green skin an even lighter shade. "I'll have to do a full scan to see the extent of his injuries."

"At the moment," Leo said picking the human up and watching as Don and Raph got up stiffly. "Take care of your own injuries. I'll get him settled in the infirmary and then Don you can take care of him and Raph can tell me what happened."

Don and Raph exchanged a glance and then followed Leo to the infirmary.

"Now," Leo said wrapping Don's arm as he looked at Mike more thoroughly. "What happened in the fifteen minutes I was gone?"

"Well," Raph said grimacing as he wrapped his own leg and watched as Leo moved over to the bed Splinter was laying unconscious on the bed next to Mike. "We were watching TV when Masta' Splinter and Don started getting weird vibes. Mike and I were on instant alert. About five minutes later foot started burstin' through the door and we fought… you know the usual. But then the elite came and when Splinter went down we knew we wouldn't win. Don was yellin' at me ta get Mike out of there but the only way to go was up. So we ran to my room, which, as we all know, has an escape route. I heard when Don went down and soon we were all swarmed. WE managed to fight them off but soon I went down. Before that though I was overwhelmed by this bloodlust… the result… upstairs. I don't rightly know what happened after that but it seems that Mike managed for a while but was overwhelmed."

"Most probably by the sickness," Don said weakly. "He has minimal damage on the outside… but it seems as though his sickness has gotten worse. Dudes, we need a doctor."

"He's a human," Leo pointed out. "We could take him to the hospital."

"With no past, no identity, and no money," Don shook his head. "We'll have to see if April knows anybody."

"I'll go," Leo stood up and walked to the door. "Don't argue. You're all hurt and plus," he locked eyes with Raph, "you need to be here," Raph shuddered and looked back to Mike and Don smiled.

"Good luck," came a raspy voice from the bed next to Mike and Splinter sat up holding a paw to his head. "And stay hidden my son, the foot will be looking for you."

"Yes sensei," Leo said his voice showing the relief he felt at his master's recovery.

Don turned back to Mike and placed a hand on his forehead to find it burning in fever, just like a month and a half ago. He sighed and got up to work on finding a simple cure for the deadly disease as Raph took care of their master and Mike.

"Hey April," Leo said slipping into her apartment via window. "I need your help," he stepped into her living room and immediately turned around a slight smile playing on his lips as April and Casey yelped and adjusted their clothes before turning to Leo.

"What's up?" April said and Leo turned around to see her blushing. A month and a half ago he would've made fun of them but now…

"We need a doctor," he said grimly and Casey and April immediately lost their blush and turned serious.

"What happened?" April said leaning on one foot her arms crossed.

"The others were attacked by the foot while I was getting a pizza. Sensei, Raph, and Don weren't seriously hurt, Mike however, pushed himself to hard… and isn't doing that well."

"Why not take him to the hospital?" Casey said and April sighed.

"He has no identification, in police records he doesn't exist," April said walking into the kitchen and flipping through the phone book. "I have a friend that I keep in contact with who specializes in lung surgery. I could call her."

"Is she trustworthy?" Leo said and April flashed him a grin.

"She was my roommate through college and graduate school," she said dialing her phone number. "She's trustworthy. She wouldn't even tell her boyfriend the time of day unless she had a good reason… and I mean a really good reason," the boys waited as April sighed as the answering machine clicked on. "Hey Melanie! This is April O' Neal, I have a friend who needs your…" she trailed off as she heard someone pick up the phone and then her eyes grew wide. "What do you want?" she said harshly and then sighed. "Of course," she handed the phone to Leo who took it baffled.

"I have your friend," a gruff voice said with a hint of triumph in his tone. "You want her? Come and get her. The abandoned warehouse at Fifth Street. Good-bye… Leonardo."

Leo gave April back the phone in deep thought. So the Shredder had their only hope to saving the boy who reminded them so much of Mikey. Was it worth it? Leo shook his head. Of course… it was an innocent.

"What are you going to do?" April said clearly concerned for all of her friends.

"I'm the only one in fighting condition," Leo sighed and folded his arms thinking.

"Wrong," Leo turned to see Raph sitting on the counter by the window covered with bandages. "I'm coming…"

"Raph," Leo said crossing and putting a hand on his brother's unharmed soldier. "You're hurt and Don needs you."

"Don sent me here because I was in the way… Master Splinter says that I am fine," Raph said folding his arms with a smirk. "You ain't shaking me. Now what are we doing?"

"Shredder's got our only hope of saving Mike," Leo said climbing up to the window. "And we're gonna get her."

"Her?" Raph asked raising an eye ridge before following his brother.

At the lair about an hour later Don took off the glasses he had found easier to see in and sat back in his chair looking down on Mike's pale sweaty form. He had done all he could… it was now up to Raph and Leo to rescue the doctor. He put his hand on Mike's forehead and sighed. Time… was not on their side. They were now going on luck… and a brother's love.


	11. Part Ten

AN: All right I found time to fit this in but don't expect the next chapter to be up for a while! Thank you all so much! Ah I love reviews! Oh, sorry for such a short chapter! After I finish this fic the tenth through probably the sixteenth chapters will be getting a re write!

And quick question… if turtles don't have lips what do they have?

Leo and Raph pressed their shells up against a wall as two foot guards passed by. Leo gestured for Raph to go to the right and look for a way in as he scooted to the left. A couple minutes later they met on the other side.

"All the windows on my side were guarded. The fire escape is too except most of the guards are asleep," Raph hissed and Leo thought for a minute.

"All right… since they know we'll kill them they will have more advanced weapons," Leo said finally and Raph looked at him shocked. "Here's what we'll do. First we'll see who is awake and who's not. Then we'll kill the ones awake and… knock the other ones out."

"Whoa!" Raph held up his hands in shock. "Do my ears deceive me? Leo… said that we kill?"

"Somebody is gonna die either way Raph," Leo's eyes were cold and Raph shuddered at the change in him. "When they mess with our family like this Raph… it's no longer and option to spare them."

"Right," Raph grinned and touched his sais before slipping away to the fire escape.

Once at the fire escape the two counted five guards awake and five sleeping. Two at each level save the top two. Raph blinked in surprise as he saw that Leo was already on the first level and couldn't help smiling is grim satisfaction as Leo's katanas crossed in front of the guards neck and were drawn back slitting the guy's throat. He quickly jumped up landing with a quiet thud. Unfortunately it took only that much sound to wake up the other sleeping guard.

"What the?" he said as he saw the two dark shapes next to him. With a flash of metal he slumped forward into Raph's arms a sai embedded in his chest the longest fork piercing his heart. They made their way up each taking a guard until they reached the roof where they entered the old building via exhaust vent.

"Now what?" Raph said so quietly that Leo could hardly hear him. Leo closed his eyes and strained his ears and picked up the whirring of a camera around the corner.

"First we pinpoint the camera and stick to the wall its on. Stay quiet and in the shadows. Test each step for a trap and look for a stairwell," Raph nodded.

"What about you?" Raph asked somewhat worriedly.

"I... am going to be the distraction," Leo said finally. "Now go!"

Raph was pushed out into the hallway and instinct soon took over as he shrunk into the shadows his sensei's lessons replaying in his head.

Leo waited until his brother was out of the range of the camera before jumping, in plain sight, and destroying the camera. He then set off in the opposite direction lurking half in and half out of the shadows.

Raph hit the wall with a soft thud hiding the metal of his sais and forcing his breathing to be silent as ten foot ninja rushed past him going back the way he came. He was about to move when two foot guards came from the way Raph had come. He sighed inwardly and forced himself to relax as the two started talking.

"Stupid turtle," the one supported by the other said holding his leg and leaning against a wall.

"Don't worry," the other said slightly panting. "With half of us on him at once he won't stand a chance!" he escorted the wounded one to the doors up ahead and Raph slipped in after him "Hey doc! Another casualty fo' ya!" he sneered at the young lady chained by her ankle to the wall and she growled back at the guy. Raph silently cheered as the unharmed guard left leaving the doctor with five wounded.

"You sit," she ordered tiredly grabbing a bandage. She looked longingly at the door and saw Raph. He motioned for her to be quiet and she immediately turned back to her patient her hope renewed. She was wrapping his leg as she heard the other four fall in pairs. She yelped and jumped back as a sai was thrown at her patient's throat. She gulped as a three fingered green hand reclaimed the sai and faced the turtle who was wiping his sais off disgusted.

"Name's Raphael," he grunted and then tucked his sais neatly into his belt. "You doctor Christy Harlington?"

"The same," she said fighting to keep her voice from wavering. "What do you want from me?"

Raph laughed and started towards the door. "We're bustin' ya outta here."

"We?" she said and shook the chain and Raph turned and grinned before coming back and breaking the hold on her ankle with ease.

"My bros the distraction," he said and Christy could hear the worry as he pulled out a devise that looked similar to a shell and a phone and flipped it open. "Donnie? Get me Leo," he waited for a minute and let out a sigh of relief as Leo picked up.

"Raph!" the sounds of fighting were in the background. "I'm just a tad bit busy!"

"I got the doc," Raph said switching to camera and flinching as he saw a heavily wounded Leo tiredly fighting the foot.

"I'll get out of here as fast as I can," Leo said as he ended transmission and tucked the phone into his belt and grabbed his other katana. He glanced at the window and calculated about ten feet of foot soldiers between him and his escape. He gritted his teeth and started running his katanas clearing the path before him. He jump somersaulted through the window the sharp shards getting embedded into his skin. He landed catlike and stood up slowly making sure the glass shards weren't in his feet before running painfully along the edge of the roof. His cell went off after about three minutes and he dropped painfully to the alley behind the old warehouse.

"Leo?" Raph's voice asked as Leo sat down in the shadows picking out shards that were causing streams of blood to trickle down his body.

"What?" Leo swallowed as his breathing slowed and he licked his dry lips.

"You ok bro?" Leo smiled at the concern his brother had adopted.

"Fine," Leo whispered as his sensitive hearing picked up movement. He unsheathed his katanas and switched off the phone. With the slightest movement he forced his aching body into the air and brought his katanas down.

There were two flashes of metal as a clang was heard and Leo saw that his katanas blocked by two sais and allowed himself to fall forward into his brother.

"Leo?" Raph said leaning him against the wall. "What happened?"

"I'm just tired Raph," Leo said grinning slightly through a grimace. "Its what happens when you're ambushed by about fifty foot.

Raph sighed and helped Leo to his feet and grinned appreciatively at Christy who immediately supported Leo. Raph let Leo guide Christy after him as he went ahead clearing the way. After about ten minutes of slow progress Raph sighed as he spotted a manhole up ahead. He ran back to his brother and Christy both of which were panting slightly.

"Manhole up ahead," he said cheerfully. "We're home free."

"Wait," Leo said breathlessly. "Raph, this was to easy… there has to be a catch," as if on cue their cells went off and they glanced worriedly at each other.

"Don?" Raph said after flipping his open. "What's wrong?" Leo watched as Raph paled and then grew angry. "Stay there Donnie we'll be there in a minute."

"Raph?" Leo asked after his brother closed the phone. "What is it?"

"It's the Shredder," Raph said trembling in anger. "He's got sensei and Mike."


	12. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT i just have a fe...

IMPORTANT!

Unlike Things Best Left Forgotten I am just putting this story on temporary hold so I can start another story which is completely pushing TMNT out of my head for the time being. I need to write a couple chapters of Three Year Absences, Detective Conan by the way, before I get back into this story. I solemnly swear I will finish this story however because… well… I love it to much to discontinue it and I swore this would be the first story I finish. I will be writing as fast as I can on this story but at least for another month or so do not expect an update… once again so sorry to let you guys down and I swear to try my best but the quality would not be the same and it would be rushed so I really want to take my time. Sorry for the third time and Ciao! Thanks for understanding.

Inya


	13. Part Eleven

AN: NOOOOO! I think my dad officially lost the notebook I had all my notes in! And I really liked that version of the story a lot! But I really wanted to get this fic going again sooo… I'll write a chapter about the cherry blossom incident that happened when the turtles were young.

Trying something I don't usually do, answering reviews…

hazlov2004: Glad you like it! I'm trying to slowly work it through…

chibiroseangel: completely touched I promise I will update it as fast as I can… the third season brought back inspiration for me… that review really touched me… thanks so much! hugs

MikeyPhreak : Hint: get a Barbie and take your anger out on her. Yeah, the finished thing will be great… I can't wait to write the last chapter!

A concerned reader: I'm sorry, but I don't really get your logic on this one… what's so bad about letting someone know about an absence? Its better to explain than to make them think I abandoned… and if you want to pick on me then why don't you just go review everyone's? I mean, am I just special? Anyways, I will delete this 'chapter' after I get past the phase.

Lady-Of-The-Rings : And I'm updating real soon! You will have more! Heh, glad you've liked it so far

FF Demon-angel: Thanks for the praise! basks I'm just way to egoistic… aren't I?

Lioness-Goddess: Dudette actually… thanks, and yeah, it does suck XD

Pacphys: What can I say? I love cliffies!

TBreader : Yup, Mikey, most of the TMNT fics that I'll write are about Mike…

Vulpixfairy: Uhh, can't really promise everything… I think you'll really like the ending though

moondragon-1001: I do tend to end in cliffies… well guess what! Another is on the way… I think…

Uhhh, just a way to separate the AN from the story… 

"You're such a coward" Raph yelled hands on hips as he faced a teary eyed Mikey.

_"I am not" the four year old yelled in defense as Leo, Don, and Splinter stopped their training to turn to the two._

_"You are too, you always hide behind Donnie or Leo, _and, _you never stand up for yourself you… big baby" the five year old Raph yelled as he watched triumphantly as Mikey's chin trembled and his eyes watered further._

_"I am not a baby" Michelangelo yelled balling his fists and leaning forward slightly before turning and running into his room holding back sobs._

_"You better not get my bed wet" Raph yelled after him cupping his right hand around his mouth slightly. He turned to the others to find them glaring at him. "What" he blinked as Don pushed past him to get to his younger brother._

Trailing a hand along the covers of the bed Raph walked around the room Don and Mike had shared not noticing the weakened turtle in the doorway looking at him with the saddest eyes every hidden behind that purple mask.

"Raph" Don whispered not wanting the elder turtle to get mad. As the red masked brother didn't turn around he limped slightly into the room and sank down onto the bed. "I'm sorry, I never meant for this to happen."

"It… wasn't your fault Donatello" Raph muttered sitting himself down on the single bed in the large room. "It wasn't your fault at all" he muttered even quieter blinking back tears as their shells made a small 'clink' as they hit together softly as the two youngest brothers leaned against each other staring at different sides of the room.

"Mikey" Don said opening the door that Mike was hiding behind. "Are you all right"

_"Why do I have to be such a baby" Mike sniffed blinking back tears from behind his mask as he pulled himself further into a ball._

_"You're not a baby" Don said placing a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder. "You face your fears in your own way, that's all."_

_"Why can't I be like Raphie, Donnie" Mikey asked blinking up at him his eyes shining with not only tears but with regret. "He's so strong and brave, and he never runs away."_

_"Sometimes Mikey, the right thing to do is not to face your fears, but to retreat from them until you are ready to face them" he grinned slightly as he saw Mike had calmed down. "Raph, doesn't know when fighting is bad, you Mikey, you do. And backing down from a challenge is what makes you strong."_

_"But Raph… he's so cool" Mike threw up his hands to make his point nearly hitting Donnie who had him in a loose hug. "'ven if what you said is true, don't you some'times wanna just face a big bad monster and show it who's boss"_

_The little turtle jumped off his bed and started making exaggerated ninja moves until Don gave in and joined in, laughing, playing the part of the monster as the 'hero' lived out his dream._

"You know what Mikey said about you once" Don asked quietly and after a silent thirty seconds he continued. "He said you were brave, and cool. He looked up to you so much Raph. And he loved you more than any of us."

"Yeah…" Raph trailed off his eyes closed. "When was this"

"Every time you two would get into a fight" Leo said from the doorway before limping in wincing at every step. "It's true, if there was any one person that Mikey would actually open up to fully and allow to pick on him, it was you."

"Come on" Leo shouted at Mikey the next day as he fumbled again with the foam coated 'chucks. "Focus"

_"I can't" Mikey yelled his voice breaking slightly as he bit his lip and stopped rubbing his eyes with his arms. "I'm trying… but I can't."_

_Leo sighed and dropped the kicking board he was holding up and went over to his youngest brother._

_"Lets take a break Mikey" he said soothingly as he led the orange masked turtle out of the dojo past Raph and Don's sparring session. Pausing at the door he waited for a nod from Splinter before continuing to a secluded, clean, spot of the sewers._

_"Anything you want to talk about"_

_"No…"_

_"Nothing at all"_

_"…"_

_"Thought so" Leo said leaning back against the wall as Mike pulled his knees up to his plastron and rested his chin on them._

_"Why… does Raph hate me"_

_"He doesn't."_

_"How would you know"_

_"I know more than you think Mikey" Leo said softly watching his brother._

_"How come, you're never really with us"_

_"What do you mean" Leo said raising an eyeridge at Mikey's question._

_"I mean, Donnie's close to me… Raph's close to Donnie kinda. But you're not really close with any of us."_

"He cared for all of us" Leo muttered sitting down crossed legged and leaning his shell against the headboard. "He was so worried when any of us got each other mad, or if any of us were put down."

"He always tried to cheer us up, and connect with us in his own way."

"And I went ahead and abused that" Raph muttered and each of the three's thoughts drifted to the day of the dare… the day that started it all.

After their talk the day before Leo had grown even more attached to the 'baby' of the four. Don had realized he had a best friend he had never really seen for who he was. And Raph, had found a gullible sap to test out his latest prank.

_"Hey Mike" Raph yelled walking out of the dojo where Leo was still practicing his katas to the couch where Don and Mike were watching the limited TV channels. "You wanna be as brave as me"_

_"Yeah" Mike yelled out jumping over the couch as Don gave him a suspicious glare before turning back to the news._

_"If you wanna be brave, all you have to do, is go up to the surface and get a cherry blossom from the tree in central park" he grinned as he saw Michelangelo's grin waver. "Its an actual legend that states that if you have a cherry blossom and sleep with it held tight in your hand in the coldest… darkest place you can find then you'll be as brave as a… as a… lion" he spread his arms wide and leaned slightly into Mikey's face._

_"Really" Mike asked wide eyed. "Wow…"_

_"But you wouldn't be up for it, you're just a coward" Raph said turning away from him with his arms crossed._

_"I am not"_

_"Then prove it."_

_Mike gulped and lowered his eyes to the floor._

_Midnight chimed on the small clock Splinter kept in the main room. A small figure slipped out of his room and tiptoed across the floor to the door using everything he had learned thus far in his training. Slipping out of the door the orange mask tails were illuminated in the slight light as the door slid shut soundlessly._

_"My sons! It is time for breakfast" the fatherly rat called out before hearing the mad scramble that started every morning._

_A blue masked turtle strode in with a purpose the only evidence of his sleep a slightly crooked mask._

_Shoulders drooped slightly as he stifled a yawn the purple masked turtle climbed into his seat._

_Muttering the red masked turtle sat down on the floor and yawned openly before rubbing his eyes._

_"Where is Michelangelo, Raphael" Splinter asked lifting the second eldest under his arms and seating him in his chair before his head hit the table._

_"I dunno, thought he was up already… I mean, he wasn't in… his… bed…" Raph sat straight up as his eyes widened. "I'll go look right away" Instantly awake he ran out of the kitchen and around the lair in less than five minutes._

_"Sensei" he approached the rat somewhat out of breath. "I… Mikey isn't here."_

_"What do you mean" Splinter asked sternly kneeling down to the small turtle's level. "Raphael, do you know something you aren't telling us"_

_"Well uh" he trailed off unable to meet his master's eyes._

_"Splinter-sensei" Donatello said slowly getting all three present's attention. "Raph, kinda told Mikey something…"_

_"What Raphael" Splinter said sharply turning the turtle's head so their eyes met._

_"I said… that if he wanted to… not be a baby… he should… go to the surface… and then spend the night in the coldest place he could find…"_

_"Raphael" Splinter said shocked. "Even though it is spring it is cold! Donatello, Leonardo, you shall accompany us to find Michelangelo" he then turned to Raphael. "You shall be punished later."_

_"Yes… sensei" Raph muttered and stared at the ground before following his family._

**WHOO FINISHED!**

AN: Its kinda… not really tied in with the story but, it explains a lot. The next chapter will finish it and will start the main plot again.


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